Thesaurus results for COUNTERATTACKS

counterattacks

noun

variants or counter-attacks

plural of counterattack

as in attacks

an attack made to counter an enemy's attack suddenly the tide of battle turned, and the rebels, who had been falling back, made a furious counterattack

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of counterattacks Under coach Sergej Barbarez, a former professional poker player, the gritty Bosnians rarely gamble, instead playing a disciplined and physical style that emphasizes compactness and swift counterattacks. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Switzerland more than doubled Bosnia and Herzegovina’s possession in the first half, but did little with it as their fellow UEFA opponent defended with numbers in hopes of pouncing on counterattacks. — Josh Gross, Oc Register, 18 June 2026 Sun Yingsha’s speed, anticipation, backhand counterattacks, and composure under pressure have made her one of the greatest table-tennis athletes of all time. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 June 2026 This will be key, as one of Giraldez’s main tactics to cause Barcelona problems will be counterattacks. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 21 May 2026 Suwon responded with counterattacks as the North Koreans struggled to clear crosses into the box, with a header from home forward Haruhi Suzuki bouncing off a post in the 21st. — ABC News, 20 May 2026 Bassong continued in the midfield through 2025, bringing that same intense defensive presence while jump-starting counterattacks. — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026 Launch units can reposition quickly, reducing vulnerability to counterattacks. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026 Oil and gas prices have soared this past month after Iran launched counterattacks that closed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off about 20% of the world’s supply of oil from global markets. — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterattacks

Noun

The United States also revoked a license for Iran to sell oil in response to a series of attacks on the commercial vessels that the regime has not taken responsibility for.

— Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 8 July 2026
This appears to be one of Kyiv's deepest attacks on Russian territory since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

— Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 July 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

Russia still controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has recently clawed back limited ground in counteroffensives.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Dynamic shifts on the battlefield — with large swaths of Ukrainian land changing hands in offensives and counteroffensives in the early years of the war — have since given way to a conflict of inches.

— Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026

Definition of counteroffensives

Noun

The lethality of the Russian assaults on Kyiv in the past week displays the challenge Ukraine faces in protecting its capital as Russia innovates and steps up its attacks.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
Rubicon focuses on targeting Ukrainian drone crews, electronic warfare systems and logistics routes located 10 to 40 kilometers behind the front, rather than directly supporting assaults, according to Lee and Putiata.

— David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of assaults

Noun

According to Chinese state media, the units involved in the missile launch are trained to operate under demanding battlefield conditions, including severe electromagnetic interference and precision counterstrikes.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 June 2026
As Russia’s advance stalls, Ukraine boosts long-range strikes After a series of gains last year, Russia’s advances along the over 600-mile front line have ground to a near halt recently, and Ukraine’s armed forces have launched successful counterstrikes and reclaimed some ground.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026

Definition of counterstrikes

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counterattackers

counterattacks

counterbalance

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“Counterattacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterattacks. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of counterattacks

noun

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